Stainless Steel Finishes: Milled, Polished and Special Finishes

Stainless Steel Standard Finishes

There are many finishing techniques that can be applied to stainless steel - mill, brushed, patterned, bead blasted, electropolished, coloured and decorative.

Standard finishes are the finishes that are used for most stainless steel applications. They are categorised as either "Milled" or "Polished".

Code	Process	Description
MILLED FINISH A milled finish is the least expensive finish option. There are both hot-and cold-rolled mill finishes, and, as this description implies, their appearance is produced at least in part by passing the stainless steel through special rolls or dies. The reflectivity of these finishes varies from dull to mirror-like.
HRA	Hot Rolled & annealed	Industrial heat-resisting and material handling applications, scale impairs corrosion resistance
No. 1	Hot rolled, annealed and descaled	Generally used when smoothness and uniformity of finish are not important
2B	Cold rolled, annealed, descaled and skin passed	A smooth finish for general applications
BA	Bright cold rolled finish. Retained by final annealing in a controlled atmosphere furnace	Mirror Finish
POLISHED FINISH Polished Finishes are produced by mechanically abrading the surface with a series of gradual finer abrasives or a special rolling procedure that stimulates the appearance of mechanical abrasion. The smoothest polished finishes are buffed after mechanical polishing to produce a mirror-like appearance.
No. 4	Cold rolled, annealed, descaled, polished to 180grit	Polished satin finish. PVC coated. Widely used for restaurant equipment, elevators, etc.

Special Textured Finishes

Special Finishes include finishes that are generally used when aesthetic appearance is important or an extra rigidity needs to be given to thin sheeting. This category includes non-directional scratch patterns, swirls, ground circles, embossed and coined textures, and various colouring and coating methods.

Code	Description	Swatch
Ring Polish	A circular overlapping pattern giving a deep lustre with a changing optical reflection when viewed from different angles
5WL	A three dimensional pattern which enhances the material rigidity by 15%. Used in high human traffic areas. Hides dents, scratches and scuffmarks and gives a true optical flatness
6WL	A three dimensional pattern which enhances the material rigidity by 35%. Used in high human traffic areas. Extremely high impact resistant. Hides dents, scratches and scuffmarks and gives a true optical flatness